U.S. patent application number 10/599563 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-29 for audio entertainment system, device, method, and computer program.
This patent application is currently assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.. Invention is credited to Vincentius Paulus Buil, Gerrit Hollemans.
Application Number | 20070274530 10/599563 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34961997 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070274530 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Buil; Vincentius Paulus ; et
al. |
November 29, 2007 |
Audio Entertainment System, Device, Method, And Computer
Program
Abstract
An audio entertainment system (100) comprises: a set of
earpieces (101) for transducing audio (102), with a first earpiece
(103) having a first input means (104) for receiving input (113) to
control (106) the transducing; and a first detector (107) for
detecting the first earpiece (103) being positioned (108) for
transducing audio (102). The audio entertainment system (100) is
arranged to enable (109) control (106) with the first input means
(104) only after a predetermined first period (110) in which the
first earpiece (103) is detected, with the first detector (107), to
be continuously positioned for transducing audio (102). This
prevents accidental operation of e.g. a media player with the input
means (104) while e.g. inserting the first earpiece (103).
Inventors: |
Buil; Vincentius Paulus;
(Eindhoven, NL) ; Hollemans; Gerrit; (Eindhoven,
NL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PHILIPS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & STANDARDS
P.O. BOX 3001
BRIARCLIFF MANOR
NY
10510
US
|
Assignee: |
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS,
N.V.
GROENEWOUDSEWEG 1
EINDHOVEN
NL
|
Family ID: |
34961997 |
Appl. No.: |
10/599563 |
Filed: |
March 25, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
March 25, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB05/51034 |
371 Date: |
October 2, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
381/74 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04R 1/1016 20130101;
H04R 5/033 20130101; H04R 1/1041 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
381/074 |
International
Class: |
H04R 1/10 20060101
H04R001/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 5, 2004 |
EP |
04101398.8 |
Claims
1. An audio entertainment system (100) comprising: a set of
earpieces (101) for transducing audio (102), with a first earpiece
(103) having a first input means (104) for receiving input (113) to
control (106) the transducing; and a first detector (107) for
detecting the first earpiece (103) being positioned (108) for
transducing audio (102), the audio entertainment system (100) being
arranged to enable (109) control (106) with the first input means
(104) only after a predetermined first period (110) in which the
first earpiece (103) is detected, with the first detector (107), to
be continuously positioned for transducing audio (102).
2. An audio entertainment system (100) as claimed in claim 1, the
audio entertainment system (100) further comprising: a second
earpiece (111) having a second input means (112) for receiving
input (113) to further control (114) the transducing; and a second
detector (115) for detecting the second earpiece (111) being
positioned (108) for transducing audio (102), the system (100)
being further arranged to enable (109) control (106) and further
control (114) only if in addition the second earpiece (111) is
detected, with the second detector (115), to be positioned for
transducing audio (102).
3. An audio entertainment system (100) as claimed in claim 2, the
system (100) being further arranged to postpone enabling of the
control action (106) and the further control action (114) until the
second earpiece (111) has been detected, with the second detector
(115), to be continuously positioned for transducing audio (102)
for a predetermined second period (116).
4. An audio entertainment system (100) as claimed in claim 2, the
system (100) being further arranged to postpone enabling of the
control action (106) and the further control action (114) until
both the first and the second input means (112) are simultaneously
without input (113).
5. An audio entertainment system (100) as claimed in claim 2, the
system (100) being further arranged to postpone enabling of the
control action (106) and the further control action (114) until
both the first and the second input means (112) have simultaneously
been without input (113) for a predetermined third period
(117).
6. An audio entertainment system (100) as claimed in claim 2, the
system (100) being further arranged to disable (118) control (106)
and further control (114) if both the first and the second input
means (112) receive input (113) simultaneously.
7. An audio entertainment system (100) as claimed in claim 1, the
system (100) being further arranged to disable (118) control (106)
with the first input means (104) as soon as the first earpiece
(103) is detected to be no longer positioned for transducing
audio.
8. A method of transducing audio (102) by means of a set of
earpieces (101) with a first earpiece (103) having a first input
means (104) for controlling (106) the transducing, in which: input
(113) is given to the first input means (104); and a first detector
(107) detects the first earpiece (103) to be positioned for
transducing audio, and enabling the controlling control (106) with
the first input means (104) only after a predetermined first period
(110) in which the first detector (107) continuously detects the
first earpiece (103) to be positioned for transducing audio
(102).
9. A computer program product for use in an audio entertainment
system (100), the audio entertainment system (100) comprising: a
set of earpieces (101) for transducing audio (102), with a first
earpiece (103) having a first input (113) means for receiving input
(113) to control (106) the transducing; a processor for processing
the input (113) to control (106) the transducing; and a first
detector (107) for detecting the first earpiece (103) being
positioned (108) for transducing audio (102), the computer program
product being designed to instruct the processor to enable (109)
control (106) with the first input means (104) only after a
predetermined first period (110) in which the first earpiece (103)
is detected, with the first detector (107), to be continuously
positioned for transducing audio (102).
Description
[0001] The invention relates to an audio entertainment system
comprising: [0002] a set of earpieces for transducing audio, with a
first earpiece having a first input means for receiving input to
control the transducing; and [0003] a first detector for detecting
the first earpiece being positioned for transducing audio.
[0004] The invention also relates to a device, a method and a
computer program product for use in such a system.
[0005] An example of a system as described in the opening paragraph
is described in the non-prepublished European patent application
03101081.2 (PHNL030392). Said patent application describes an audio
entertainment system with an audio device and two earpieces for
transducing audio. A first earpiece has a controller with input
means for controlling the audio device. The input means have a
touch-sensitive area. Based on a detection of the touch-sensitive
area being touched, the audio device is controlled by means of a
control signal sent from the controller to the audio device. This
prevents the hassle involved in finding, manipulating and operating
a conventional control that is typically dangling somewhere along a
wire. The patent application also describes how to prevent
accidental control actions. The earpiece may therefore have a
further touch-sensitive area which makes contact with the skin when
the earpiece is being worn in or by the ear. The earpiece only
sends the control signal if the further touch-sensitive area makes
contact.
[0006] It is a drawback of the system described in the patent
application that an inadvertent input for controlling the
transducing is still likely to occur frequently, because the input
means are likely to receive input at the time of inserting or
positioning the earpiece. Due to the relatively small part by which
to hold the earpiece when inserting it or taking it out, and due to
the touch-sensitive area covering a relatively large portion of the
part, it may be hardly possible to position the earpiece without
providing an input.
[0007] It is an object of the invention to provide a system of the
type described in the opening paragraph that reduces the risk of
inadvertently controlling the transducing of the audio.
[0008] The object is realized in that the system is arranged to
enable control with the first input means only after a
predetermined first period in which the first earpiece is detected,
with the first detector, to be continuously positioned for
transducing audio.
[0009] By enabling the control only after the predetermined first
period, inadvertent control is not possible during the first
period. This measure is particularly effective, because inadvertent
control would be likely to occur during the first period without
taking this measure. In other words, with an appropriately
predetermined first period, the risk of inadvertently controlling
the audio production is substantially reduced.
[0010] To a certain extent, the invention is based on the
recognition that positioning the earpieces takes a while, and that
the user is typically satisfied with the position before the
predetermined first period lapses.
[0011] The audio entertainment system may further comprise other
input means or other output means, for example, a video display, a
game pad, or a keyboard. The audio entertainment system may
comprise or be part of e.g. a gaming device, a communication
device, a computing device, a personal digital assistant, a
smartphone, a portable computer, a palmtop, a tablet computer, or
an organizer.
[0012] The audio transduced may be generated in the audio
entertainment system, for example, by playing it from a medium,
e.g. an optical disk such as a BluRay disc, a DVD, a CD, a
hard-disc, a solid-state memory. The audio transduced may
alternatively or additionally be received by the audio
entertainment system, for example, via a wireless interface, e.g. a
wireless LAN, WiFi, UMTS, or via a wired interface, e.g. USB,
FireWire, or via another interface.
[0013] The first earpiece may be an in-ear type of headphone or
earpiece, a headset with a boom, a headband with a cup, or another
type of earpiece or headphone.
[0014] The first earpiece has a first input means for receiving
input to control the transducing. The first input means may be, for
example, an electromechanical sensor, e.g. a switch, a button, an
electronic sensor, e.g. a touch sensor, an electro-optical sensor,
e.g. an infrared sensor, or a laser beetle. The first input means
may also be a speaker that transduces the audio, used as a
microphone. Tapping the earpiece causes a particular noise, which
may be picked up by the speaker, causing an electric signal, e.g.
on terminals of the speaker. The signal may be detected by means of
a detector for the particular noise. The detector is electrically
coupled to the speaker.
[0015] The input received may be e.g. a switch-over, a push, a tap,
a press, a movement, or a noise.
[0016] The controlling may be e.g. increasing or decreasing a
setting, for example, an audio volume, an audio balance, a tone
color, or any setting for an audio effect like reverberation,
chorus, etc. The control action may pertain to the audio, for
example, selecting an audio source, e.g. an artist, an album, a
track, a position in time of a track, or a playback speed.
[0017] The audio may be transduced by means of an electro-acoustic
transducer like a voice coil speaker, a piezo speaker, a membrane
speaker, or another speaker, but the audio may also be transduced
by guidance to the ear through a tube.
[0018] The audio entertainment system comprises a first detector
for detecting the first earpiece being positioned for transducing
audio. The first detector may be based on an operating principle
like, for example, closing an electric circuit between a pair of
e.g. skin contacts, or spring switch contacts, detecting an
infrared radiation, detecting the presence of an earlobe, or
another operating principle.
[0019] The audio entertainment system is arranged to enable control
with the first input means only after a predetermined first period
in which the first earpiece is detected, with the first detector,
to be continuously positioned for transducing audio.
[0020] This may be implemented in several ways. In a first way, the
audio entertainment system comprises a timer. The timer is started
to count from zero as soon as the earpiece is detected to be
positioned for transducing audio. The timer is reset to zero as
soon as the earpiece is no longer detected to be positioned for
transducing audio. When the timer achieves a value corresponding to
the first period, the timer triggers the enabling. In a second way,
the timer may count down from the value of the first period to zero
and is reset to the value of the first period. In a third way, the
audio entertainment system comprises a delay element rather than a
timer. A signal like a step or pulse is applied to an input of the
delay element when the earpiece is detected to be positioned for
transducing audio. The delay element triggers the enabling
operation when the step or pulse arrives at an output of the delay
element. The delay element is emptied as soon as the earpiece is no
longer detected to be positioned for transducing audio. Other ways
are also possible. Similarly, there are several ways to disable
control of the transducing action. Some enabling modes may be
implemented partially or as a whole by means of instructions to a
computer processor.
[0021] The first period is advantageously chosen to be within a
range from 100 milliseconds to 2 seconds, with 1 second being a
favorable choice.
[0022] In an embodiment, the audio entertainment system has the
features of claim 2. The second earpiece may be similar to the
first earpiece. The first and the second earpiece may be used as a
pair for transducing respective audio, e.g. a stereo sound. This
further reduces the risk of inadvertently controlling the audio
production.
[0023] In another embodiment, the audio entertainment system has
the features of claim 3. This still further reduces the risk of
inadvertently controlling the audio production, because both the
first and the second earpiece are now required to have been
positioned continuously for respective periods. The first and the
second period may be chosen to be equally long.
[0024] In another embodiment, the audio entertainment system has
the features of claim 4. This measure reduces the risk of
inadvertently controlling the audio production even further. The
measure is based on the recognition that the first input means are
likely to receive an input during the positioning operation, and
that an end to such an input is likely to indicate the end of the
positioning operation.
[0025] In another embodiment, the audio entertainment system has
the features of claim 5. This measure also reduces the risk of
inadvertently controlling the audio production. The measure is
based on the recognition that the first and the second earpiece are
typically positioned or inserted substantially simultaneously, and
that positioning e.g. the second earpiece increases the likelihood
of the first earpiece being repositioned, although the first period
has lapsed.
[0026] In another embodiment, the audio entertainment system has
the features of claim 6. This measure also reduces the risk of
inadvertently controlling the audio production. The measure is
based on the recognition that the first and the second earpiece are
typically taken off or extracted substantially simultaneously, and
that such an input is likely to indicate an end to a period in
which the earpieces were positioned for transducing audio.
[0027] In another embodiment, the audio entertainment system has
the features of claim 7. This measure reduces the risk of
inadvertently controlling the audio production too, and is based on
the recognition that an input may be inadvertent if the first
earpiece is taken off, remote, or extracted, from the ear.
[0028] The above object and features of the audio entertainment
system, the method and the computer program product of the present
invention will be more apparent from the following description with
reference to the drawings.
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an audio entertainment
system 100 according to the invention.
[0030] FIG. 2 shows a timing diagram of the operation of an
earpiece 103 according to the invention.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a close-up of touch areas 119, 120, 121, 122 of
an earpiece 103 according to the invention.
[0032] FIG. 4 shows an example of wiring the headphones 103, 111
according to the invention.
[0033] FIG. 5 shows a schematic example for touch-sensing.
[0034] FIG. 6 shows an overview of a state transition machine 126
for a touch headphone 103, 111 according to the invention.
[0035] FIG. 7 shows internals of a state transition machine 126 for
a touch headphone 103, 111 according to the invention.
[0036] FIG. 8 shows a state diagram for internals of the state 127
1_InitialisationMode.
[0037] FIG. 9 shows a state diagram for internals of the state 128
2_NormalOperationMode.
[0038] FIG. 10 shows a state diagram for internals of the state 140
2_1_LeftTouched.
[0039] FIG. 11 shows a state diagram for internals of the state 139
2_2_RightTouched.
[0040] In the described embodiments, the audio entertainment system
100 comprises a portable audio player, a set of earpieces 101 for
transducing the audio 102 from the player, with a first earpiece
103 having a first input means 104. In this embodiment, the set of
earpieces 101 is also referred to as headset or headphone, but it
may comprise several headphones for sharing audio in a group of
people. The first input means 104 comprises a touch-sensitive area
119 on the earpiece 103. The touch-sensitive area 119 may receive
input 113 for controlling 106 the player, which adapts the audio
transduced accordingly. The input 113 is also referred to as
touching, tapping, and tapping action. The first earpiece 103 has a
first detector 107. In this embodiment, the first detector 107
comprises a further touch-sensitive area 122 with a pair of skin
contacts 120, 121. If the first earpiece 103 is positioned 108 for
transducing audio, i.e. if the earpiece 103 is inserted or worn by
the ear, the skin closes an electric circuit by contacting the
contacts 120, 121. An electric resistance may be measured between
the contacts 120, 121 for detecting the first earpiece 103 being
positioned for transducing audio. The audio entertainment system
100 is arranged to enable 109 control 106 with the first input
means 104 only after a predetermined first period 110 in which the
first earpiece 103 is detected, with the first detector 107, to be
continuously positioned for transducing audio 102.
[0041] This is shown in the upper part of FIG. 2, wherein time
flows from left to right, and wherein the relative heights of the
lines indicate whether the first input means 104 receives an input
113, whether the first detector 107 detects the positioning of the
earpiece 103 for transducing audio, and whether the control action
106 is enabled, respectively. Only after the first detector 107 has
detected the first earpiece 103 to be positioned for transducing
audio for the predetermined first period 110, the input 113 on the
first input means 104 results in a control action 106 of the audio
player.
[0042] This behavior may be achieved by means of a timer coupled to
disabling means. The timer may be located in, for example, the
earpiece 103, or in the audio player. In the embodiment described
below, the timer is implemented in software with a routine in
accordance with the described state diagrams in the Figures, as
detailed further below.
[0043] As shown in the Figures, the audio entertainment system 100
may comprise a second earpiece 111. The second earpiece 111
comprises a second input means 112 for receiving input 113 to
further control 114 the transducing action. The second earpiece 111
also comprises a second detector 115 for detecting the positioning
108 of the second earpiece 111 for transducing audio 102.
[0044] As shown in the middle part of FIG. 2, wherein the relative
heights of the lines indicate whether the second input means 112
receives an input 113, whether the second detector 115 detects the
positioning of the earpiece 111 for transducing audio, and whether
the control action 106 and the further control action 114 are
enabled 109, respectively, the system 100 may be further arranged
to enable 109 control 106 and further control 114 only if, in
addition, the second earpiece 111 is detected, with the second
detector 115, to be positioned for transducing audio 102.
[0045] As shown in the lower part of FIG. 2, the system 100 may be
further arranged to postpone enabling of the controlling 106 and
the further control 114 until the second earpiece 111 has been
detected, with the second detector 115, to be continuously
positioned for transducing audio 102 for a predetermined second
period 116.
[0046] In the embodiment in FIG. 4, the first and the second
earpiece fit naturally in a right and a left ear, respectively,
because of a substantial mirror symmetry between the first and the
second earpiece. Alternatively, the first and the second earpiece
may be substantially identical.
[0047] The system 100 may be further arranged to postpone enabling
of the control action 106 and the further control action 114 until
both the first and the second input means 112 are simultaneously
without input 113. The system 100 may be further arranged to
postpone enabling of the control action 106 and the further control
action 114 until both the first and the second input means 112 have
simultaneously been without input 113 for a predetermined third
period 117. The system 100 may be further arranged to disable 118
the control action 106 and the further control action 114 if both
the first and the second input means 112 receive input 113
simultaneously. The system 100 may be further arranged to disable
118 the control action 106 with the first input means 104 as soon
as the first earpiece 103 is detected to be no longer positioned
for transducing audio 102.
[0048] The invention may be applied, for example, for operating the
deck-controls (play, pause, next, etc.) of a portable audio player
via touch controls 119 on the headphones 103, 111.
[0049] The mapping of the user's tapping on the earpieces 103, 111
to actions of the player may follow two user interface design
rules: (1) frequently used functionality should be easily
accessible, and (2) follow the Western convention of left to
decrease and right to increase values. In line with these rules,
the mapping of the different tapping patterns 113 onto the player's
deck and volume controls may be done as described in Table 1.
Investigation indicates that people find this mapping intuitive and
easy to learn. TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Example of mapping tapping
patterns to deck and volume controls Tapping Function on left
Function on right pattern earpiece earpiece Single tap Pause Play
Double tap Previous track Next track Hold Volume down Volume up
Tap-and-hold Fast rewind Fast forward
[0050] Another possibility is to map a single tap 113 on either
earpiece 103, 111 to a toggle that alternates between a first state
of playing and a second state of pausing. This has the advantage
that both functions of pausing and playing are available at both
earpieces 103, 111. This measure provides greater convenience of
invoking both functions with one hand with this mapping.
[0051] Besides the tapping, another automatic control function may
be offered by the touch headphone. When the headphone 103, 111 is
taken off, the player may automatically pause playback, and when
the headphone 103, 111 is put on, playback may automatically start,
optionally resuming from the position where it paused. This is
convenient, because it may avoid battery depletion when the user is
not listening. Additionally, it may prevent the user missing a part
of the music, for example, when talking briefly to someone in the
street.
[0052] Augmentation of a regular headphone used with the latest
portable audio players with touch controls requires several
modifications. First of all, the headphone itself needs to be
modified to become touch-sensitive, which requires some
electro-technical and mechanical engineering. Secondly, the touch
actions should be translated into a signal that can easily be
interpreted by the player. Finally, these signals should be
analyzed for tapping patterns to initiate the corresponding actions
of the player. The whole set-up has a few logic components,
mechanical modifications of an in-ear type headphone and electronic
components.
Components
[0053] Five logic components may be used to realize a touch-enabled
in-ear type headphone. These five components, A to E, form the
chain needed to sense the tapping actions, translate them into
analog electric signals, then digitize these signals, analyze the
tapping patterns, and finally send out control signals to the audio
player. We have set out these five components below. The choice of
location of certain components may depend on design choices, like
the manufacturing context and connectivity to existing
products.
A. The touch-sensing action may be performed via conductive areas
on the headset.
B. The touch signals may be buffered, which may be done by means of
e.g. high-impedance electronics.
C. The buffered signals (0-2.5 Volt) may be digitized and fed into
a processing subsystem 100 via a data acquisition card.
D. The processing subsystem 100 may measure voltage changes, and
may convert the changes into control events (play, next, volume up,
etc.) for the player.
E. The player responds to the control events.
[0054] Six touch-sensitive areas on an in-ear type headset may be
used, composed of 3 areas 119, 120, 121 per earpiece, as depicted
in FIGS. 3 and 4. The area 119 is used to control the player, the
areas 120 and 121 are used to detect if the headset is being worn.
Detection of whether the headset is being worn may be utilized to
achieve robustness withstanding accidental touch of the
touch-sensitive areas 119.
The areas are:
1. Ground area 120: this area is used to detect closing of an
electric circuit via area 119 or 121. This may be the ground
terminal of the audio signal.
2. In-ear detection area 121: when the earpiece is inserted in the
ear, skin contacts this area as well as the ground area 120, which
may be detected by measuring a resistance and monitoring a change
in the resistance measured.
3. Tap detection area 119: when the earpiece is touched by a
finger, this area 119 is connected to ground area 120, via finger
skin contacting this area 119 through the body to the ear skin
contacting the ground area 120.
[0055] The touch areas 119, 120, 121 are designed with care, to
avoid contacting skin undesirably. The ground area 120 and the
in-ear detection gap 122 should be sufficiently large and
positioned in such a way that a good contact is obtained if the
earpieces are inserted in the ear. Furthermore, the tap detection
area 119 should be sufficiently large to be easily touched by the
finger, and positioned in such a way that accidental contact of
this area 119 with the user's ear shell is avoided, because this
may result in unintended actions.
[0056] Each earpiece 103, 111 may have its own in-ear detection
area 121 and its own ground area 120, to be able to detect whether
the user is wearing no earpieces, only one earpiece, or both
earpieces 103, 111. In this way, robustness withstanding accidental
touch when the headphone 103, 111 is not worn (e.g. when stored in
a user's pocket) may be improved. The player may be arranged to
only react to touch commands 113 when both earpieces 103, 111 are
actually inserted.
[0057] When having the ground area 120 on only one earpiece 103 and
an in-ear detection area 121 on the other earpiece 111, it is
impossible to detect when the earpiece 103 with the ground area 121
is taken out of the ear. Thus, it is impossible to disable 118 the
touch controls 119 at that moment, causing uncontrolled behavior as
the ground 120 connection has fallen away.
[0058] Adding touch-sensitive areas 119 to the headphone may
require extra wires next to the audio lines. A total number of five
wires may run down from each earpiece 103, 111 onto the point 123
where the wires come together. At this point 123, the touch events
113 may be converted into some analog or digital control signal to
minimize possible disturbance of e.g. a mobile phone, as is further
explained below. Furthermore, the touch-sensing electronics that
buffer the signal may need some power at this point 123. Instead of
an extra power line, the power may be `added` to the audio signal
and `subtracted` again with capacitors at the `touch to control
converter` with relatively simple electronics.
[0059] The relatively large size of capacitors may be a drawback. A
wiring example is depicted in FIG. 4. A certain degree of shielding
may be required for the different lines, to avoid disturbance of
other devices. Separate ground lines may be used for the audio and
the touch sensors. Alternatively, one ground line for both the
audio and the touch-sensing may be used.
Touch Events to Control Signals
[0060] In a first touch-sensing principle, the resistance of a part
of the human body is measured via contact areas 119, 120, 121 of
conducting material. Here, typically the resistance between a
finger and an ear or a head may be measured. When, for example, a
finger touches the contact area 119 of the device 103, the
resistance may exist between this area 119 and the return contact
area 120 that contacts the ear or the head. This resistance may be
measured with a voltage divider 124, see FIG. 5. In the untouched
situation, the output voltage 125 of the divider 124 will be the
supply voltage. Upon touching, the voltage 125 will decrease. The
touch 113 may therefore be detected by measuring the voltage change
125.
[0061] The touch signals coming from the electronics described
above typically have a relatively low power level. Therefore, the
low-power signals may be converted into signals with a higher power
level, which may subsequently be interpreted by the portable audio
player. Because the low-power level touch signals may be
susceptible to disturbance by a magnetic field from e.g. a GSM
phone, or a microwave oven, the conversion is preferably performed
close to the earpieces 103, 111. An example of such a position is
in a `bud` at the point 123 where the wires of the two earpieces
103, 111 come together. There are several options for processing
the signal before offering it to the player. The most suitable
option depends on the location of a certain processing logic.
Send Touch Signals Directly to Player
[0062] A first option is to perform most of the processing in the
player. The weak signals coming from the touch detection areas 119,
120, 121 are directly transported to the player, where they are
buffered, interpreted, etc. The headphone executes step A, while
steps B to E are executed in the player. Compatibility with the
Philips standard remote control may be provided with a separate
connector, because the signals from the touch detection areas
differ from the resistor values of a standard remote control. This
option may be relatively sensitive to disturbances by other
equipment as mentioned above.
Convert Touch Signals to Standard Resistor Values
[0063] A second option is to convert the four touch commands into
standard resistor values before providing them to the player. The
standard resistor values are defined in the Philips mobile remote
control standard. The headphone 103, 111 executes steps A and B.
The resistor values are interpreted in the audio player. The
portable audio player may be backward compatible with the existing
Philips standard remote control. The player preferably reacts
differently to the signals from the touch headphone 103, 111 than
to the signals from the standard remote control. When a standard
remote control is plugged in, there is a direct mapping of resistor
values to playback controls (e.g. 10 K Ohm means play, 20 K Ohm
means next, etc.). However, when the touch headphone 103, 111 is
plugged in, this direct mapping cannot be used, as the in-ear
detection and the temporal tapping patterns need to be interpreted
before they can be mapped to the playback controls. This
interpretation logic may be in the player, and will be described in
detail hereinafter. TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Example of mapping touch
detection areas to resistor values Touch events Resistor value Left
in-ear area 10 K Ohm Right in-ear area 20 K Ohm Left tapping area
42 K Ohm Right tapping area 75 K Ohm
[0064] The touch detection areas of the touch headphone may be
mapped to the standard resistor values as described in Table 2. The
resistor values in the Philips mobile remote control standard are
such that any combination of multiple simultaneously pressed keys
may be distinguished, by simply adding the respective resistor
values. This means that in our example it is possible to e.g.
detect a tap on the left earpiece while the earpieces are worn by
the user, by detecting the value 10+20+42=72 K Ohm. For processing
the actions with the touch headphone--headphone on/off,
tapping--five combinations of these resistor values as listed in
Table 3 are interesting. TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Example of touch
combinations to be detected by the application Voltage/resistance
Touch events level None in-ear -- One in-ear 10 or 20 K Ohm Both
in-ear + none touched 30 K Ohm Both in-ear + left touched 72 K Ohm
Both in-ear + right touched 95 K Ohm Both in-ear + both touched 147
K Ohm
[0065] The player may distinguish coupling to a standard remote
control from coupling to a touch headphone 103, 111, to adapt its
processing. A first method is to put the resistor values for the
touch headphone in another range, for example, by adding, say, 200
KOhm to all values given in Table 2 and Table 3. A standard remote
control would then produce values below 200 KOhm, and the touch
headphone would then produce values in the range above 200 KOhm. An
open circuit or infinite resistance is the same for both and means
that none is touched. A second method is to provide some mechanical
switch to tell the player which remote control is plugged in.
Converting Interpreted Touch Patterns to Standard Resistor
Values
[0066] A third option is to incorporate the interpretation logic in
the touch headphone 103, 111, and as such have the headphone
produce resistor values that can be directly mapped onto the
playback controls. With this option, the processing steps A to D
are executed in the headphone. The touch headphone may be
compatible with the Philips remote control standard and its output
may be mapped onto the playback controls in the same way.
Therefore, this option may result in the touch headphone being
forward compatible to any audio player that complies with the
standard.
[0067] With this option, it may not be so easy to implement the
automatic pause and resume function when putting on the headset.
The Philips remote control standard uses a single resistor value of
10 K Ohm to toggle between playing and pausing. A separate play
command and a separate pause command with two different resistor
values are not part of the standard. One can only put a 10 K Ohm
resistance on the control line for a short time to tell the player
to (1) start playing when it was not, or (2) stop playing when it
was. Sending this 10 K Ohm resistance when putting the headset
either on or off would easily do the opposite of what is desired:
if the player is paused and the headset is put off, it will start
playing (thus depleting the batteries, and vice versa. As it may be
hard to detect the current playing state of the player at the
headphone, it may be hard to implement a reliable automatic pause
and resume function based on putting the headset on and off with
this option.
Consequences for Wiring and Power Supply
[0068] The three options described in the previous sections have
different consequences with respect to wiring and power supply. An
example of a wiring diagram is given in FIG. 4.
[0069] Option one is an implementation in which the `Touch to
Control` box 123 is implemented in the media player. This option
may require four wires to run down the media player, as the touch
signals cannot be multiplexed without any additional processing
operation. The grounds of the touch and audio signals may be
combined. With options two and three, the resistance values may be
multiplexed, so that only one wire may be needed to receive the
control signals, similar to the Philips mobile remote control
standard.
[0070] All of the three options need a power supply for skin
resistance sensing. Power may be obtained from the player via the
control line. If this harms the standard remote controls, a
separate power line may be needed for option two, or a battery for
option three. It is noted that the power supply requirement is
dependent on the touch-sensing technology used. If another
technology were used, e.g. buttons, this requirement might fall
away.
Software: Creating Robust Behavior
[0071] To interpret the tapping on the earpieces 103, 111, and to
safeguard from accidental control when they are not worn, some
behavior is programmed in the player or in a separate
interpretation unit. The player or unit converts the signals from
the headset as described in Table 3 into commands such as play,
pause, next song, etc. The player or unit may therefore comprise a
state transition machine 126 for producing the behavior, see FIG.
6. In an example of such a state transition machine 126, the
changes in the states of all touch sensors on the earpieces 103,
111 are interpreted and, subsequently, control events to the audio
player are issued as specific sequences of state changes occur.
Touch Headphones
[0072] Six touch combinations may be discriminated by the
headphones 103, 111. These six combinations are of particular
interest to our application for the following reasons: (1) When one
or both earpieces 103, 111 are not worn, control of the player
should not be possible, to avoid accidental control when carrying
the headphones in, for example, the pocket. Touching of the tapping
areas does not need to be discriminated when the earpieces are not
worn. Furthermore, wearing specifically the right or left earpiece
is not discriminated in our application. Therefore we need only two
states for these situations: NoneInEar and OneInEar. (2) As soon as
the user has put on both earpieces, we need to discriminate which
tap areas are being touched. There are four possibilities, hence
four states: BothInEar_NoneTouched, BothInEar_LeftTouched,
BothInEar_RightTouched, and BothInEar_BothTouched.
[0073] In the state transition diagram, the notation S=n is used to
describe a transition to state n, with n ranging from 0 to 5 and
indicating one of the six states described above. An example of
mapping between n and the corresponding states is described in
Table 4. TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Example of state numbers and
descriptions State n State name 0 None in-ear 1 One in-ear 2 Both
in-ear + none touched 3 Both in-ear + left touched 4 Both in-ear +
right touched 5 Both in-ear + both touched
State Transition Machine
[0074] When the user starts using the headset by putting it on and
touching the left and right earpieces 103, 111, various transitions
occur between the states shown in. Table 4. These transitions may
be translated into meaningful behavior of the audio player, which
may be realized in a state transition machine 126.
[0075] At the highest level, the state transition machine 126 (STM)
has two states, see FIG. 7. When the STM 126 is in state 128
labelled 2_NormalOperationMode, the tapping controls 104, 112, 119
on the headphone operate as described above. This is the situation
when the earpieces 103, 111 are worn by the user, e.g. ready for
playback of the music. The STM 126 is in state 127 labelled
1_InitialisationMode when one or both of the earpieces 103, 111 is
not worn, or when the user is about to insert the earpieces 103,
111. In this case, the tapping controls 104, 112, 119 may be
disabled to avoid accidental control of the audio player.
[0076] As soon as one or both of the earpieces 103, 111 is taken
out, the STM 126 moves from state 128 2_NormalOperationMode to
state 127 1_InitialisationMode, indicated by the arrow 129 with the
label S=0 or 1. In state 127 1_InitialisationMode, any tapping on
the tapping areas 119 of the headphones 103, 111 may be ignored,
such that no playback controls are sent to the player in this state
127. To be able to inform the user about this, the transition 129
creates an "InputDisabledEvent". This event may be processed, for
example, by the audio player to generate a small audio signal to
indicate the disabling 118 of the tapping controls 119.
[0077] State 127 1_InitialisationMode facilitates a safe way of
putting on the earpieces 103, 111, without the player starting to
jump around when touching the tapping areas 119.
[0078] When the user has finished putting on the earpieces 103,
111, the STM 126 makes a transition 130 to state 128
2_NormalOperationMode. With this transition 130, an
"InputEnabledEvent" is generated. This may be used to inform the
user that the tapping controls 119 are operable. Furthermore, a
"HeadsetOnEvent" is generated. This event may be used by the player
to start or resume playback of the music. The user may occasionally
want to listen with only one earpiece 103, 111 inserted. Therefore,
a "HeadsetOffEvent" may be issued only when both earpieces 103, 111
are taken out.
State 127 1_InitialisationMode
[0079] In a conventional remote control unit on a wire, there is
often a mechanical hold switch to block operation of the controls
when desired--for example, when carrying the player with the remote
control in a bag or a pocket. Such a hold switch could be applied
to the touch headphones as well, and would perhaps be desirable in
certain situations. However, this would not be sufficient for our
implementation of the touch headphones, as the user is likely to
refit the earpieces 103, 111 in the ear, e.g. when they have fallen
out partly after some movement. This may be relatively hard to do
without touching the tapping areas 119, causing unwanted control
events. In such a situation, it is unlikely that the user remembers
to put the headphones 103, 111 on hold. Furthermore, the user might
forget to block the controls 119 when taking the earpieces 103, 111
off. When, for example, the earpieces are subsequently put in a
pocket, accidental control of the player is likely, possibly
causing depletion of batteries. To avoid these drawbacks, the
in-ear sensing areas 121, 122 were included on the headphones 103,
111, allowing enabling 109 and disabling 118 of the tapping
controls 119, in addition to the pause-and-resume function when
putting the headphones 103, 111 on and off.
[0080] In the 1_InitialisationMode state 127 it is ensured that the
tapping controls 119 are not activated before the user has
completed the process of putting on the earpieces 103, 111. This
state 127 is needed as a safeguard against three types of unwanted
events, related to the design of the in-ear headphones 103, 111 and
the use of skin contacts or touch sensors:
[0081] 1. When the earpieces 103, 111 are being put on, the user
may hold them between his fingers and may touch the tap areas 119
due to the small form factor of in-ear type headphones 103, 111. As
long as the earpieces 103, 111 are not inserted, the player should
not react to this. However, also when it detects that both
earpieces are on, the player should not immediately start reacting
to the tap areas 119. While the user is still putting on the
headset, the in-ear detection areas 121, 122 and also the tapping
areas 119 may signal various on-off events, which easily result in
unintended actions (e.g. raising volume, fast forward or backward,
etc.). Enabling of the tapping controls 119 may be postponed until
both earpieces 103, 111 have been inserted completely.
2. The automatic resumption of the playback function should not
start before both earpieces 103, 111 are inserted completely for
the same reason, to avoid an annoying fragmentation of playback
with every on-off signal of the in-ear detection.
[0082] 3. When the in-ear detection areas 121, 122 are somehow
short-cut when the earpieces 103, 111 are carried in the user's
pocket, this could start the automatic playback function of the
player and drain the batteries. Otherwise, it could enable 109 the
tapping controls 119 and then start playback when the tapping areas
119 would somehow be short-cut as well. It is possible to take
extra precautions for this, by using the knowledge that the user is
likely to hold the tapping areas 119 between his fingers when
inserting the earpieces 103, 111.
[0083] When switching on the player, or when (one of) the earpieces
103, 111 (is) are taken out, the start state of
1_InitialisationMode 127 is entered. Start states are each
indicated with a dot in the state diagrams in the Figures.
Depending on the state of the touch headphone 103, 111, this will
lead to one of the internal states of 1_InitialisationMode state
127, as shown in FIG. 8. When the touch headphone is not worm, the
state 131 labeled BothPiecesOff is entered and a "HeadsetOffEvent"
is triggered to inform the player about this status. In case the
player was playing, it may be paused by the system 100.
[0084] As soon as the headphone 103, 111 is being put on, the
system 100 starts traveling through the states 132, 133 OnePieceOff
and BothPiecesOn. The state 133 BothPiecesOn refers to the
situation where both earpieces 103, 111 are inserted and at least
one of the tapping areas 119 is being touched. As soon as both
earpieces 103, 111 are inserted and none of the tapping areas 119
is touched, the system 100 enters the state 134
BothPiecesOn_TouchingNone. The system 100 is likely to travel up
and down through the states 131, 132, 133, 134 a couple of times,
as the in-ear detection areas and tapping areas will probably give
various on-off signals when the user is putting on and fitting both
earpieces.
[0085] The moment the user has finished putting on the headphone is
assumed to be the moment when both earpieces 103, 111 are on and
the tapping areas 119 have not been touched for a while 110, 116,
117. In that case, a time-out will make the system 100 go to the
end state 135 labeled "IsTimeOut" in FIG. 8. About one second
appears to be a good value.
[0086] Via the end state 135, the system 100 finally leaves the
1_InitialisationMode state 126 and enters the 2_NormalOperationMode
state 128, as shown in FIG. 7. During this transition 130, two
events are triggered--"InputEnabledEvent" to inform the player that
the headphones will now respond to tapping, and "HeadsetOnEvent" to
automatically resume playback. It is only now that these events are
triggered, to avoid the previously mentioned two issues.
[0087] The two arrows 136 in FIG. 8 relate to the issue of using
the knowledge that the user is holding the tapping areas when
inserting the earpieces. If the state transitions described by the
two arrows 136 are not implemented, it would only be possible to
reach the state 134 BothPiecesOn_TouchingNone by first passing the
state 131 BothPiecesOn. In other words, it is necessary that at
least one of the tapping areas 119 has been touched once when the
earpieces 103, 111 are inserted. Thus, if the in-ear detection
areas were, for example, short-cut in the user's pocket, the system
100 could never reach the end state 135, unless at least one of the
tapping areas 119 would also be short-cut and then released as
well. As such, the system 100 will not make the transition to the
state 128 2_NormalOperationMode in FIG. 7, and neither trigger the
events "InputEnabledEvent" and "HeadsetOnEvent". This creates extra
robustness withstanding playback starts via accidental short-cuts
of the in-ear 121, 122 or tapping detection areas 119. Note,
however, that this has a drawback. When the user manages to not
touch the tapping areas 119 when inserting the earpieces 103,
111--for example, by holding the earpieces 103, 111 close to the
wires during insertion--the user may need to provide an extra tap
113 to enable 109 the controls 119. This may be solved by enlarging
the touch-sensitive tapping areas 119. The transition 137 from the
start state to the state 134 BothPiecesOn_TouchingNone is useful to
avoid the necessity of an extra tap when the user is already
wearing the headphone 103, 111 while switching on the system
100.
State 128 2_NormalOperationMode
[0088] In the state 128 2_NormalOperationMode, the player should
respond to the tapping 113 on the touch headphone 119. It is this
state in which playback controls are generated as a result of the
detected tapping patterns 113. Four types of tapping patterns are
used for each earpiece 103, 111: a single tap, a double tap, a
hold, and a tap-and-hold. Tapping patterns combining both earpieces
103, 111 have deliberately been avoided. This would probably become
relatively complex for the user, and more importantly, there must
be a safe way to put off the headphones 103, 111. We have reserved
the pattern 113 of touching 119 both earpieces 103, 111
simultaneously, for taking out the earpieces 103, 111 safely
without inducing any playback commands.
[0089] As shown in FIG. 9, the state 128 2_NormalOperationMode has
internal states 138, 139, 140, 141. The system 100 always enters
the state 138 NoneTouched via the start state, in which both
earpieces 103, 111 are inserted and none of the tapping areas 119
is touched. This has to be the status of the headphone, as the
system 100 can only come here via the state 134
BothPiecesOn_TouchingNone within state 127 1_IntialisationMode and
the subsequent transition to state 128 2_NormalOperationMode, see
FIGS. 7 and 8. When a tapping pattern 113 is started on the left or
right earpiece 103, 111, this is dealt with in the state 140
2_1_LeftTouched or the state 139 2_2_RightTouched, respectively.
When both earpieces 103, 111 are touched 119 simultaneously in
either state, the system 100 always makes the transition to the
state 141 BothTouched while triggering an "InputDisabledEvent".
This state 141 is only abandoned towards state 138 NoneTouched when
both earpieces 103, 111 are released again, to allow recognition of
new tapping sequences 113, or abandoned towards state 127
1_IntialisationMode when either earpiece 103, 111 is taken out, see
FIG. 7, whichever happens first. In this way, it is possible to
safely take off the headset.
[0090] When the system 100 is anywhere in state 140
2_1_LeftTouched, an S=4 event (both earpieces 103, 111 in ear and
right earpiece touched) will immediately bring the system 100 to
the state 139 2_2_RightTouched, and vice versa for an S=3 event in
state 139 2_2_RightTouched. The same holds for an S=5 event in one
of the sub-states 139, 140, which brings the system 100 immediately
to the state 141 BothTouched. Any partially recognized tapping
pattern 113 may be cancelled in these cases. This has the advantage
of avoiding unexpected behavior, which may arise when alternating
very fast between operating 113 the left earpiece 111 and operating
the right earpiece 103. The player would not respond to any of the
operations 113 in such a sequence. Only when a tapping pattern 113
is recognized completely, the corresponding event will be sent to
the player. This is described in detail below.
States 2_1_LeftTouched and 2_2_RightTouched
[0091] The internals of the state 140 2_1_LeftTouched and the state
139 2_2_RightTouched actually handle the processing of the tapping
patterns 113 to create the appropriate playback controls in the
end. Four tapping patterns 113 need to be recognized for each
earpiece: a `single tap`, a `double tap`, a `hold`, and a
`tap-and-hold`, and should generate corresponding events used by
the player to control the music playback. The implementation of the
states 139, 140 2_1_LeftTouched and 2_2_RightTouched is symmetric:
both recognize the same patterns and generate the same type of
events, they only differ in the left 111 or the right earpiece 103
being tapped 113, see FIG. 10. To avoid duplication, the behavior
of both states 139, 140 is described, only using the state 140
2_1_LeftTouched.
[0092] As shown in FIG. 9, the state 140 2_1_LeftTouched is entered
via an S=3 event, caused with both earpieces 103, 111 in-ear and
left earpiece 111 touched. This is the only entry to state 140
2_1_LeftTouched, such that entry of the start state within state
140 2_1_LeftTouched results in ending up in the state 142
LeftPressed. From here on, there are four different paths to the
end state, each for recognizing one of the four tapping
patterns:
[0093] 1. If S=3 holds for some time and no other event comes in, a
time-out labeled "300 msTimeOut" in FIG. 10 will bring the system
100 to the state 146 LeftHold, while issuing a "LeftHoldEvent"
because a `hold` has taken place. It appears that 300 milliseconds
is a suitable value. Holding the left tapping area 119 longer
results in repeatedly issuing the "LeftHoldEvent", until it is
released (S=2), by which the system 100 leaves the state 146 and
returns to the state 138 NoneTouched in FIG. 9.
[0094] 2. If the left tapping area 119 is released before the first
time-out, thus only tapped for a short moment, the S=2 event brings
the system 100 from state 142 LeftPressed to state 143
LeftReleased. A `single tap` has taken place, but this is not yet
communicated to the player, as a second tap or hold may still
follow. Only when a time-out is triggered, the system 100 may be
sure that no relevant headphone event follows, and a
"LeftClickEvent" is triggered while leaving the state 143. If
another S=3 event comes in before the time-out, the system 100 will
move to state 144 LeftPressedSecond.
[0095] 3. The transitions following from state 144
LeftPressedSecond are very similar to the transitions from state
143 LeftPressed: If a time-out occurs, the system 100 ends up in
state 145 LeftExtHold while issuing an extended hold event, labeled
"LeftExtHoldEvent", which signals the player about a `tap-and-hold`
input 113. Repeated time-outs in the state 145 LeftExtHold each
generate a "LeftExtHoldEvent", until the tapping area 119 is
released.
4. If an S=2 event comes in before the first time-out, a
"LeftDoubleClickEvent" is issued to signal a `double-tap` event to
the player, and the state 144 is left.
Audio Player
[0096] The events generated by the state transition machine 126
finally need to result in the desired behavior of the audio player.
The user actions 113 in the form of a tap, a double tap, a hold,
and a tap-and-hold need to be mapped to the desired actions 106,
114 of the player, such as play, pause, next track, volume up and
down, etc. The same holds for the automatic pause and resume
function when taking off and putting on the headphones 103,
111.
[0097] The mapping of the tapping 113, 119 on the earpieces 103,
111 to actions 106, 114 of the player follows two user interface
design rules: (1) frequently used functionality should be easily
accessible, and (2) a value should be decreased by using the left
earpiece 111 and increased by using the right earpiece 103. In
accordance with these rules, an example mapping of the events
resulting from the different tapping patterns 113 to the players
deck and volume controls 106, 114 is given in Table 5.
TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Example of mapping tapping patterns to deck
and volume controls Playback Event from STM control
"LeftClickEvent" OR " HeadsetOffEvent" Pause "LeftDoucleClickEvent"
Previous track "LeftHoldEvent" Volume down "LeftExtHoldEvent" Fast
rewind "RightClickEvent" OR "HeadsetOnEvent" Play (resume)
"RightDoucleClickEvent" Next track "RightHoldEvent" Volume up
"RightExtHoldEvent" Fast forward
[0098] The playback controls described in Table 5 are common deck
and volume controls for an audio player. The volume control and
fast-forward and rewind functions are implemented through repeated
events, as described above. The state transition machine 126 gives
repeated hold and extended hold events when the tapping area 119 is
held for a longer time. In this way, the volume will gradually
increase or decrease--until the maximum or minimum is reached--the
track will continuously wind forward (`fast forward`) or backward
(`fast rewind`), respectively--until the end or the beginning.
[0099] It is proposed to resume playback as soon as the user puts
on the headphone 103, 111. This will help to communicate that the
earpieces 103, 111 are put in properly, and that the tapping
controls 119 are enabled. As one can see in FIGS. 7 and 8, a
"HeadsetOffEvent" is only generated when both earpieces 103, 111
are taken out. This makes listening to only one earpiece 103, 111
possible. When the user takes out one earpiece 103, 111, the music
will continue playing. However, the tapping controls 119 will be
disabled to avoid accidental actions, which is what the user would
expect. The controls are enabled again if the user puts the
earpiece 103, 111 back in.
[0100] Feedback on operating the areas 119 may be given via the
touch headphones 103, 111 with audio signals, e.g. a short click
for confirming an operation 113.
[0101] The touch headphones 103, 111 may be a separate unit that is
compatible with existing standards for remote controls. In that
case, the touch headphones may be used with any existing media
player that can handle a remote control unit and complies with the
standard. The state transition machine 126 may be implemented in
hardware integrated in the headphones 103, 111, which then produces
signals as described below in Table 6. TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6
Mapping of tapping patterns to deck and volume controls Event from
STM Resistor value "LeftClickEvent" 10 K Ohm pulse (toggle
play/pause) "LeftDoucleClickEvent" 42 K Ohm pulse (previous track)
"LeftHoldEvent" 143 K Ohm pulse (volume down) "LeftExtHoldEvent" 42
K Ohm continuous (fast rewind) "RightClickEvent" 10 K Ohm pulse
(toggle play/pause) "RightDoucleClickEvent" 20 K Ohm pulse (next
track) "RightHoldEvent" 75 K Ohm pulse (volume up)
"RightExtHoldEvent" 20 K Ohm continuous (fast forward)
[0102] It is noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate
rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art
will be able to design many alternative embodiments without
departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any
reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed
as limiting the claim. Use of the verb "have" or "comprise" and its
conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps
other than those stated in a claim. Use of the article "a" or "an"
preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality
of such elements. The invention can be implemented by means of
hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a
suitably programmed computer. In the entertainment device claim
enumerating several means, several of these means can be embodied
by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain
measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does
not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to
advantage.
[0103] A `computer program` is to be understood to mean any
software product stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a
floppy disk, downloadable via a network, such as the Internet, or
marketable in any other manner.
* * * * *